The present invention relates to a rice cooker.
Rice cookers generally comprise a main body housing a pot therein and a lid which is mounted on the main body so as to be freely opened and closed. In conventional rice cookers, an operation panel is mounted on a lower portion of an outer surface of the main body and projects from the outer surface. In this operation panel, an operation unit for performing a rice cooking operation is provided so as to be externally operable, and light-emitting elements such as indicator lamps or light-emitting diodes are disposed therein. When the operation unit is operated, the rice cooking operation can be performed. In addition, the rice cooking process can be recognized by visually checking light from the light-emitting elements, in accordance with this operation, through windows formed in the operation panel.
However, in the conventional rice cooker, since the operation panel projects from the outer surface of the main body, a large space is required for the rice cooker and this also results in poor appearance.
The rice cooker is usually located at a relatively low position such as a table, a sink or the like with the intention of serving rice from the pot after the rice cooking operation is completed. For this reason, the eye level of a user is usually higher than the main body. In the coventional rice cooker, the operation panel is positioned at the lower portion of the outer surface of the main body, and a user views the operation panel at an excessively oblique angle while he or she stands. If the user does not stoop, it is difficult not only to see the operation panel, but also to operate it. Furthermore, in this case, the user can only operate the operation panel from a position substantially in front of it, and he or she can see the indications only from this position.